Kitchen cabinet and refrigerator



June 10, 1930. w. H. HENDRICKSON KITCHEN CABINET AND REFRIGERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheel;v 1

- Filed Dec. 8;" 1927 June 10, 1930. w. H. HENDRICKSON 1,763,306

KITCHEN CABINET AND REFRIGERATOR Filed Dec. 8. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED [STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER H. HENDRIOKSON, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T EMERSON-BRANT INGRAM CORPORATION, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A--OORPORATION OF ILLINOIS KITCHEN CABINET AND REFRIGERATOR Application filed December 8, 1927. Serial No. 23l3,528.

This invention relates to steel furniture generally but has particular reference to"- the novelconstruction of steel kitchen equipment such as kitchen cabinets and refrigerators. The principal object of my invention is to provide the fronts of cabinets, refrigerators, and similar articles of kitchen equipmentin the form of one-piece, stamped sheet metal frames so as to afford absolutely flush surfaces, easilykept clean, and presenting a a neat, trim appearance. A further objectin this connectionis toform the front frames With inturned flanges at the drawer and door openings so as not to present any raw edges and, at the same time, make for greater strength and rigidity.

Another object lies in the provision of front wall pieces of the kind referred to hav ing inturned'flanges provided on the side portions thereof arranged to matchup with inturned flanges provided on theside walls of the cabinet, as in a kitchen cabinet, thus permitting the bolting together of these parts inside the cabinet, concealed from view, while affording absolutely flush outside surfaces.

A further feature in this connection consists in the provision of'strips for interlocking two adjoining cabinets of similar construction, the strips being introduced in the 0 joints between the front wall sections and the adjoining side walls of the two abutting cabinets and serving to draw the fronts ofthe two cabinets tightly together and thereby avoid the unsightly crevices otherwise left between cabinets set alongside one another.

The invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a kitchen cabinet embodying my invention;

v Fig. 2 is a sectional detail in perspective of the top corner of the cabinet illustrating 4 I the channel form of the front wall section,

the inturned flanges thereon .to' make connection withthe side Wall, and also the wooden drawer slide;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the cabinet omitting the upper cupboard section; Y

Fig. 4 is an isolated perspective view of the stamped sheet metal frame used for the front wall section;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view to indicate the manner of operation of the interlocking strip employed;

- Fig. 7 is a horizontal sect-ion corresponding to one taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1, but

showing a modified or alternative construction, a part of the section being broken away to permit making the view on a larger scale;

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of a refrigera tor embodying certain features'of my invention; and v Fig. 9 is a sectional detail in perspective of a top corner of the cabinet of the refrig erator.

The same or similar reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring first to Figs. 1-4, the kitchen cabinetshown is of the type comprising a lower drawer and shelf section 10 having superposed thereon, suitably on brackets 11, an upper cupboard section 12. As is well known, the drawer 13 in the lower section 10 work table is provided at 17 on the top of the lower section 10. It has been found that in the making of cabinets of'this or any other similar type there has been considerable difficulty in avoiding sharp, raw edges about the drawer and door openings, in avoiding a pro fusion of screws or bolts to fasten the parts together, and in avoiding the tendency for the walls to buckle or bend out of shape. The present invention is particularly concerned with avoiding the difficulties just enumer a'ted. According to my invention the front of the lower section 10 is formed by a onepiece, stamped sheet metal frame 18 providing openings 19 and 20 for the drawer 13 and .27 of the side walls.

doors 14, respectively, as shown in Fig. 4. The frame 18 has flanges 21 bent inwardly defining the four sides of the drawer opening 19. Thus, there is no danger of scratching the hands when putting something in the drawer or removing something therefrom. There is the further advantage, of course, that the rounded edges presented are much more pleasing in appearance. The openings 20, for similar reasons, are likewise defined by flanges 22 bent inwardly so as to present rounded edges on the four sides of said openings. The flanges 21 and 22, it will be evident, afford considerable reenforcement so that there is no likelihood of the front of the cabinet buckling or bending out of shape. Further reenforcement results from the fact that the marginal edges of the front 18 are defined by flanges bent inwardly. The flange 23 at the top permits fastening of the wooden frame of the top 17 thereto. The rearwardly directed side flanges 24: are arranged to lie flush with the side walls 25 of the lower section 10 which may suitably be formed in one piece with the back wall 26 and fastened to the wooden frame of the top 17 by bolts passing through the inturned flanges The side flanges 24 of the front 18 have flanges 28 provided thereon by the inturned edges thereof, which flanges match flanges 29 provided by inturned edges of the side walls 25 and are arranged to receive bolts 30 to fasten the front 18 to the side walls 25. It will thus appear that the front 18, by reason of the construction just described, is left absolutely flush since there is no need for screws or bolts passing there through to fasten the front in place. The sides, too, are made flush by virtue of this construction, the bolts employed for joining the parts together being concealed inside the cabinet. A cabinet of this construction is much easier to keep clean and presents a neat, trim appearance. The construction, furthermore, permits the porcelain enameling of the front and the covering of the side walls with baked enamel so that a cabinet of richer appearance is produced without involving additional cost. This feature will be appreciated when it is considered that porcelain enameling costs approximately 30 per square foot, whereas baked enamel runs about 10 per square foot. With the ordinary type of cabinet construction it is not feasible to enamel the front in porcelain and the sides with baked enamel ut with the present construction that is rendered entirely practical.

Where several cabinets are set one alongside another and interlocked in a manner presently to be described it may be desired to cover the exposed side wall or walls at the end or ends of the row of cabinets, as'shown in Fig. 7, with a panel 31 enameled in porcelain to match the porcelain enameling of the front. his panel has inturned edges providing flanges 32, one of which isarranged to .be introduced between the flanges 28 and 29 of the front 18 and side wall 25, respectively to permit fastening the same by the bolts 30. The other flange 32 is arranged to be bolted to the back wall 26, as indicated at 33. Where a cabinet is unattached, standing by itself, the exposed side or sides may, if desired, be covered by panels 31. However, it will be evident that the use of panels for the purpose described is not absolutely necessary nor will it in many cases be found desirable.

As indicated above, where two or more cabinets of similar construct-ion to that shown in Figs. 14 are placed side by side it is pos sible by the use of the means shown in Figs. 5 and 6 to interlock the cabinets to bring the fronts 18 absolutely flush with one another and closely united without the unsightly crevices which might otherwise be left therebetween. As shown in the drawing, sheet metal strips 34 may be introduced in the joints between the fronts l8 and the side walls 25 of the two abutting cabinets. These strips have inclined slots 35 extending inwardly from the lateral edges thereof for the reception of the bolts 30. The thought is to loosen the bolts 30 just enough to permit introducing the strip 34 so that the screws 30 are entered in the slots 35, and then, by striking the end of the strip 34 with a hammer or mallet to draw the cabinets together. If the screws are not tightened afterwards the friction alone will suffice to prevent movement of the strip 34 out of its proper position inasmuch as there is a wedging effect produced by the inclination. of the slots 35 which causes the screws 30 to bind therein in a manner requiring no explanation.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be observed that wooden strips 36 are mounted within the cabinet as, for example, on brackets 37 and have saw slots 38 therein arranged to serve as guides for the drawer 13 by acting as runways for flanges 39 provided by the outturned upper edges of the side walls of the drawer 13. It will be evident that the type of drawer slide thus provided is extremely simple and economical in construction. It has been found that the wood-to-metal contact to be afforded makes for smoothness and quietness in operation, much more so, it is thought, than drawer slides of a more complicated form designed with a similar purpose in view. This drawer slide is merely incidental to the present invention and is not claimed herein.

a The refrigerator shown in Figs. 8 and 9 has incorporated in the construction thereof the feature of the one-piece, stamped sheet metal front, as indicated at 18. The inturned flanges 21 defining the opening 20 for the door 14' afford smooth, rounded edges for the purpose described. The top flange 23 in this construction is fastened as by means of screws .similarly secured to other wooden frame pieces 43 and are shown overlapping the side Walls 25, the upper edges of which are fas tened with the top 41, as by means of screws 44, to the wooden frame pieces 45. Inserted between the outside shell and the porcelain enameled lining 46 are sheets of cork 47 or other similar insulating material, It will be evident that many, if not all, of the advantages referred to in connection with the description of the front 18 of the kitchen cabinet are derived by the use of thefront 18, of similar construction in the refrigerator.

I claim:

1. In a sheet metal cabinet construction, the combination with side, back, and top walls forming the shell of the cabinet, of aseparate one-piece sheet metal front wall in the form of a frame with one or more open ings therein for drawers or doors, said separate front wall being arranged preferably tobe given one finish, and the other walls preferably another finish, said front wall having rearwardly directed flanges defining at least the side edges thereof, said rearwardly directed flanges having the edges tlfareof bent inwardlylthereof to provide fastening flanges, the side walls of said cabinet having the edges thereof likewise bent inwardly to provide fastening flanges, means for securing the fastening flanges together, and a panel for covering at least one side wall of said cabinet, said panel being of the same appearance or finish as the front to 'match the same and having a flange arranged to fit in between the flanges fastening the front to the side wall, whereby the panel is fastened in place therewith.

2. In a cabinet construction, the combination of a cabinet having a body portion and a front attachable to or removable from the body portion as a separate unit, another cabinet of similar construction arranged to be disposed alongside the same and in abutting relation therewith, and means for interlocking the cabinets, said means bein interposed between the body portions and't e fronts of the two cabinets.

3. A structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein the front of each cabinet is secured to the body portion thereof by a plurality of bolts, and wherein the means for interlocking the cabinets comprises a sheetmetal strip introduced between the fronts of the cabinets and the body portions and having both sets of bolts passing therethrough.

4. A structure as set forth inclaim 2 wherein the front of each cabinet is secured to the body portion thereof by a plurality of bolts,

therein opening from the opposite lateral and wherein the means for interlocking-the cabinets comprises a sheet metal strip introduced between the frontsof the cabinets and the body portions, said strip having slots therein opening from the opposite lateral edges thereof, whereby the same may be introduced between the front of one cabinet and the body portion thereof by the entering 'of the bolts in the slots on one edge of said strip and similarly in the case of the other cabinet so that the tightening of the bolts holds the strip and fastens the cabinets together, the slots being inclined in such a way that the slots along one edge of the strip extend in diverging relation to the slots along the other edge of the strip for the purpose described. I

6. In a cabinet construction, the combination of a cabinet havin a body portion formed by side, back an topwalls, and a front attachable to the body portion as a separate unit, the said front havin rearwardly directed marginal. flanges with inturned edges arranged to fit alongside inturned edge portions on the side walls and to be fastened thereto, another cabinet of similar construction arranged to be disposed alongside the first cabinet,,and means for interiocki-n the cabinets, said means being intersaid panel being preferably of such ap earance as to match the front of said ca inet and having an inturned flangp defining at 'least the front edge thereof, t

0 said flange being arranged to enter between the inturned edges of the front and side wall of said cabinet, and means for fastening the three last named abutting parts to ether.

In witness of the foregoing I afl lx my signature.

WALTER H. HENDRICKSQN.

the body portions, said strip having slots 

